Sunday, May 30, 2010

Hyun-woo steps out of prison after a 17-year sentence for his anti-government activities. During his long imprisonment, everything has changed even his fellow anti-government protesters have become mundane. His mother then tells him of the death of Yoon-hee, who harbored and loved him right before he was caught 17 years ago. To cherish memories with her, Hyun-woo goes back to the place where the two had spent a few months together like a couple of honeymooners. Reading through Yoon-hee’s diaries and letters, Hyun-woo discovers that she was the only one who remained loyal to him to the end. Because of her faith and love, the despair and loneliness that Hyun-woo felt after his imprisonment is slowly healed. He also discovers that Yoon-hee left him another gift behind – their daughter.[source:http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr]

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Hallyu star Park Young Ha has been cast as the male lead in the remake drama of the Hong Kong movie ‘Tianmimi,’ the production company Verdi Media reported in the news on May 27.

According to a person in the production company, the drama “Tianmimi” will be made in collaboration with writer Oh Soo Yeon, who has written dramas such as “Winter Sonata” and “Autumn Story,” together with production director Jo Young Soo, who made the drama “Oh! Pil-seung, Bong Soon-Young.” As soon as the female lead is cast, it will begin filming from the end of July. The target date for airing will be around the end of this year and the broadcasting station has not yet been decided.

The melodrama movie “Tianmimi” was made in 1996 by director Kexin Chen, and actor Liming and actress Maggie Cheung played the main male and female leads. The movie was a great success in Asian countries and it ranked atop the rankings in Korea among movies that people want to watch again.

A person in the production company said, “As the movie ‘Tianmimi’ has already proven itself by its three billion movie fans in Asian countries, we will do our best to produce a good drama with a Hallyu star and production staff members to make another Hallyu drama.”source:KBS Global

Monday, May 24, 2010

South Korean director Lee Chang-dong's film "Poetry" has won the Award for Best Screenplay at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival.

Since its screening on Thursday, the film has received high praise for its theme and was also in the running for the festival’s Grand Prix Award.

The Palme d'Or top prize went to "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives" directed by Thailand's Apichatpong Weerasethakul. French film-maker Xavier Beauvois' "Of Gods and Men" took the runner-up Grand Prix Award and Mathieu Amalric won the Best Director Award for his film “On Tour.”

France's Juliette Binoche won the Best Actress Award and Spanish actor Javier Bardem and Italy's Elio Germano shared the Best Actor Award.

Another Korean film "Ha Ha Ha," by Hong Sang-soo, won the top prize at the sidebar competition, Un Certain Regard, on Saturday.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Korean actors Hyun Bin and Joo Jin-mo have been cast in a film tentatively titled "Beautiful Us," according to an executive for movie's sales firm Miro Vision.

The executive, currently promoting the pic to foreign movie buyers at the Cannes film market in France, distributed booklets in which the two actors were introduced as the film's male leads.

"Us," a war drama to be filmed in 3D, will be helmed by noted Korean filmmaker Kwak Kyung-taek, who has directed both actors in previous works -- Hyun Bin in MBC TV series "Friend, Our Legend" (a small screen adaptation of Kwak's 2001 hit movie "Friend") and Joo in 2007 film "A Love."

The film is based on the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong which occurred in June 2002, when a North Korean patrol boat crossed the sea boundary line and engaged in a marine confrontation with South Korea.

"Us," to be produced on a 15 billion won budget, will go into shoot starting next month.

Hyun Bin, also the current boyfriend of top Korean actress Song Hye-kyo, has been a star in the Asian region since appearing in MBC's smash hit TV series "My Name is Kim Sam-soon in 2005.

Joo Jin-mo, who starred opposite actress Kim Ah-joong in film "200 Pounds Beauty," is set to appear in the Korean remake of John Woo's classic Hong Kong noir film "A Better Tomorrow" this year alongside Hallyu star Song Seung-heon.

NAM Hyun-soo was once a popular idol star among teens and worshiped liked a god. Although he’s in his mid-thirties now, he’s still a sought-after celebrity and the host of a popular radio show. But one day a very young single mom named Jung-nam sends her stories to the radio show that Hyun-soo hosts. Her stories about her longing to meet her father whom she’s never seen before grips the nation and catapults the ratings to make it the most popular program. But to his surprise, Hyun-soo later confronts none other than Jung-nam, and her 7 year-old boy, Gi-dong. Jung-nam and Gi-dong invade Hyun-soo’s home and his radio station, claiming that Hyun-soo is her father. Hyun-soo does what he can to salvage his celebrity image.[source:http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr]

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

"I filmed this movie with the mindset I had when I debuted,” actor Kwon Sang Woo said at the production presentation for the movie “Into the Gunfire,” which was held on May 10 at Imperial Palace Hotel in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. He added, “Thanks to the veteran actors Kim Seung Woo and Cha Seung Won, I could film this movie successfully.”

Kwon Sang Woo portrayed the protagonist Kap Cho, a student soldier fighting against North Korean soldiers. The movie tells the story of battles fought between 71 student soldiers and North Korean soldiers. During the Korean War, the army led by Kang Seok Dae (Kim Seung Woo) had been withdrawn from Pohang to defend the Nakdong River area and left only 71 student soldiers behind. Among the students, Jang Bum (T.O.P) was appointed as a company commander, but his troops periodically caused friction with other soldiers led by Kap Cho. Park Moo Rang (Cha Seung Won), a commander of North Korean soldiers who devastated the Youngduk region with his 766 guerrilla troops, disobeyed the Communist Party’s order to advance to the Nakdong River, instead secretly changing course into Pohang and ending up fighting with the student soldiers who were left behind.

Kwon Sang Woo said, “I felt comfortable and excited because I filmed the movie with only male actors. I felt like as if I had become a member of the Boy Scouts. I was especially happy because I worked with outstanding actors.”

He wore a school uniform again years after his movie “Once Upon A Time in High School (2004).” Kwon Sang Woo smiled, saying, “I was almost excluded from the cast members because I am too old.” He is 34 years old.

T.O.P, a member of the idol group “Big Bang,” debuted as a movie star with “Into the Gunfire” and said about the movie, “It was like I was going out to the playground for learning. Whenever I looked exhausted, other senior actors have given me great help. It was a good opportunity for me to become more mature through filming this movie.”

Actor Kim Seung Woo, who worked with T.O.P again after the drama “IRIS,” evaluated T.O.P’s acting by saying, “When I watched him, I thought, ‘He completely became the character Jang Bum that he plays.’ He did better than I expected.”

All cast members including Kwon Sang Woo, T.O.P, Cha Seung Won, and Kim Seung Woo agreed that the filming itself was very exciting and interesting, but enduring the cold weather was the most difficult part.

Director Lee Jae Han, who has directed movies such as “A Moment To Remember” and “Sayonara Itsuka,” directed the movie. Lee said, “I tried to focus on creating a balance while I made this movie. As it is a war movie, I wanted to film battle scenes.”

A blockbuster war movie funded with an 11.3 billion won investment, “Into the Gunfire” will be released on June 17.